AD&D - Night Below Book II - The Perils of Underdark 2e.pdf - AD&D 1st Edition Miscellaneous - Kitraida

The Svirfneblin City-Maze

The Burial Grounds

The Troll Caves

The Grell Nest

Monsters at War

14;

Caverns of the Great Reptiles

The Smooth Caverns

The Derro Warrens

Halls of the Rockseers

Caves of the Slime Lord

The City of the

Glass Pool

The Renegades

Piercers

Fungal Hazard

Glassrock

Razor Rock

Ledgeways

Stinkmold Hazard

Magical Flux Point

Treacherous Footing

miles

Oozes

Wormholes

Into the Deep Dark ............................... 2 Caves of the Slime Lord......................... 21

Talking to the Svirfneblin ........................ 2 Scales Before the Elves ........................... 26

Returning to the Deep Gnomes ................... 3 Caverns of the Reptiles ......................... 26

The Gnome Lands .............................. 5 The Halls of the Rockseer Elves .................... 31

The Svirfneblin City-Maze ....................... 5 The Derro at War ................................ 35

The Burial Grounds ............................. 5 The Wormholes * The Slavers * The Watchpost

The Troll Caves ................................. 7 The Renegades ................................ 38

Perils of the Long Path ........................... 13 Warrens of the Servitors......................... 41

The Grell Nest................................. 13 The City of the Glass Pool ........................ 46

Monsters at War ............................... 15

The City and the Kuo-toa ....................... 48

The Smooth Caverns ........................... 19

Victory ....................................... 64

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1125XXX1902

This introductory chapter covers two topics. First come

such enemies and not bring destruction on vourselves

the discussions the PCs have with the Svirfneblin they

and upon us? Before you can face such strength and

encountered at the conclusion of Book I. Second is an

might, you should prove yourselves in other ways here

overview for the DM detailing how the campaign pro-

in the depths.”

gresses through the locations and events covered in this

book, culminating in the assault on the kuo-toan strong-

This should give the PCs pause for thought. Mind

flayers are enemies the PCs can hardly face at this

hold, the City of the Glass Pool.

time. Carmeneren offers a time for reflection here. She

suggests to the PCs that they return to their homes or

base in the surface world, make full preparations with

equipping themselves and the like, and return to this

place in a week’s time to consult with her further.

“Then you can reflect fully upon my words. If you

return later than this, the illithids may learn of the

destruction of the orcs, and you might find an ambush

set for you. From watching closely, we do not expect

them to return for a while yet.” If the PCs need more

time, Carmeneren says that 12 days is the longest it

would be safe to wait.

After this brief discussion, the PCs should return to

Milborne, equip themselves to the hilt, and plan on a

long stay below ground.

The spokeswoman for the deep gnomes here is

Carmeneren, a 13th-level priestess of Callarduran

Smoothhands, the Svirfneblin creator deity. A general

note on Svirfneblin abilities occurs later in this chapter,

but stats for individual deep gnomes are not given here,

for they should not be required; they will not fight with

the PCs, and the PCs should most certainly not harm

them. Note that PCs cannot use spells such as ESP to

learn what Carmeneren truly thinks and feels at any

given time, due to her innate nondetection ability, How-

ever, a simple test with know alignment (or the equiva-

lent) reveals that the gnomes are neutral shading to neu-

tral good in alignment.

Carmeneren will want to know what the PCs have

done to date. Clearly, they must have wiped out the

Bloodskull orcs in the caverns above, or they would not

be here. Carmeneren knows that servants of evil lie fur-

ther below the orcs, and she knows something about

that deeper evil. If the PCs use a “we’ll tell you what

we’ve done if you share some confidences with us”

approach, the old gnome is happy to give them some

information. She does so in any event when they have

recounted their story.

Carmeneren says that the orcs the PCs have killed

serve a much deeper and more malignant evil. The

deep gnomes have seen prisoners taken from the orcs

down to darker, deeper places which lie far below

where the PCs now stand. “We do not know all that

lies below, but we know much. Others have been

before you, and failed to deal with the deeper evils.

We are afraid that you, too, will fail and that those

below will be moved to strike upwards, and find us,

and kill us all. If you are not clever and wise, you

could bring destruction on my people as well as losing

your own lives.”

The gnomes stand silently for a short time, then the

This book contains two distinct campaign phases. The

first of these allows the PCs to pursue treasures, magic,

and monsters throughout the caverns of the underdark.

In this way, they can acquire sufficient experience and

magic for the second campaign phase, assailing the City

of the Glass Pool.

In the first phase of the campaign, the PCs should be

allowed (indeed encouraged) to return periodically to

the surface world to regroup, re-equip (with spell com-

ponents, etc.), train to gain experience levels, and the

like. The deep gnomes keep watch over the paths the

illithids take and should be able to warn the PCs if there

are any mind flayers in the orc caverns blocking their

route back home. During their periodic returns to the

surface world, the PCs should once, and once only, find

two illithids in the orc caverns (Map 9 on Mapsheet 2)

and have to fight them to escape back to the surface. The

DM should not use this encounter until the average PC

is 5th to 7th level. Otherwise, the PCs are free to move

between the surface world and the underdark as they

please.

The PCs’ relative freedom of movement ends once

they assault the City of the Glass Pool. Before that point,

they should collect every experience point they can-

they’ll need it! Once their assault has begun, however,

the way back may be sealed off with powerful enemies,

as detailed in the chapter “The City of the Glass Pool.”

PCs should be able to find places to rest and recuperate

in the underdark, though how secure these will be

depends on whether they have met and befriended the

Rockseer elves.

priestess offers some more information and a suggestion

to the PCs. “I will not tell you what I know without

some evidence that you are worthy of it. I will tell you

now, though, that the accursed illithids are among those

behind the bringing of surface spellcasters into the

depths. Behind them stand enemies yet more powerful

and dangerous. Now do you accept what I say when I

wonder aloud about your strength and fitness to face

The Svirfneblin, if asked, can tell the PCs that they are

certain that there are other conduits into the underdark

down which kidnapped spellcasters and others are

taken into the depths. These are not shown on the strate-

gic map, as the PCs will not find them in any event. The

Svirfneblin seek to impress on them that the answer to

the problem is to deal with it at the source. Trying to

wipe out the surface servants of evil alone is pointless;

these are only the small fry and can easily be replaced

by new recruits. The PCs have to aim for the heart of

darkness, deep in the underdark.

Lastly, the map on the inside front cover of this

book is a strategic-scale map showing the major

locations of the underdark. Cavern complexes that

are individually mapped on Mapsheet 3 are shown on

this map with numbers (10 through 21)

that correspond to map numbers for these caverns.

There are also a number of specific areas (labelled Xl

through X7) where some particular feature of impor-

tance, or some clue, can be found by alert player

characters. These maps and detailed points are dealt

with in the following chapters:

Suitably rested, re-equipped, and refreshed, the PCs

should now return to the deep gnomes.

Again, Carmeneren speaks for her people. She repeats

her concern about the PCs bringing down destruction on

the deep gnomes if they meddle foolishly but notes that

others have been here before and failed to deal with the

menace. If asked about them, she says that they perished

far below, but that signs of them may still have been left

behind. She then explains the situation of the deep

gnomes.

The Svirfneblin are not numerous. They are not

strong enough to deal with the evil enemies below,

They have been holding a keen watch, and they have

learned much. They have been waiting for adventurers

from above to find their way to them, so that they can

help them with information. “We can also give you

food and fresh water when you need it, though per-

haps you will not like the taste of our fare,” she smiles.

“If you must come back to us because you are badly

hurt, then I can heal you. However, if you are followed

you will bring death to my people. I have to be able to

trust you not to make such a mistake. Do you see my

problem?”

The PCs should see that the old gnome, who looks

suddenly weary and almost fearful, has a good point.

Carmeneren is much happier to have her people watch

out for the PCs and to have them report what they have

seen. The Svirfneblin scouts always maintain a watch in

the uppermost passages and tunnels (between the

entrance point and the spot marked Xl on the strategic

map). They have filled waterskins and food (preserved

fungi, yum!) which they give to the PCs (but thoughtful

PCs should think of offering something in return; some-

thing as simple as pots and pans would be useful to the

gnomes, and much appreciated).

If all goes smoothly during this parley, then

Carmeneren has a first test for the PCs. If they are suc-

cessful, then the gnomes help them with more infor-

mation. Not far from the caves of the Svirfneblin are

caves infested with trolls. The PCs would be doing the

gnomes a useful service if they eliminated this threat.

This is the first test for the PCs. When they agree, pro-

ceed to the next chapter; if not, they are on their own

down here.

+ The Gnome Lands. This is the home territory of the

PCs’ new allies, their burial grounds, and the lairs of

some nearby trolls (Maps 10, 11,12).

+ Perils of the Long Path. These locations lie between

the PCs and the route they are most likely to take to

the City of the Glass Pool (Maps 13,14,15,16).

+ Scales before the Elves. Highly dangerous reptilian

enemies stand between the PCs and contact with the

elusive Rockseer elves (Maps 17,18).

+ The Derro at War. Two groups of derro await the PCs;

one implacably hostile, one with which the PCs may

be able to negotiate (Maps 19,20).

+ The City of the Glass Pool. The citadel of the kuo-toa

(Map 21). The king’s throne room is shown, enlarged,

on Tactical Map #3 on Mapsheet

Svirfneblin Abilities

Svirfneblin have many special abilities, mostly

devoted to stealth, which enable them to survive in the

intensely hostile environment of the underdark. All

deep gnomes radiate nondetection,

as per the 3rd-level

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